Review of Batman, Man-Bat
The Caped Crusader action figures

Introduction

Most of us who collect action figures do so at least in part thanks to our childhood when we played with them for many hours. This nostalgia drives our adult obsession, fueling us to buy not just 'toys', but extremely expensive adult versions of our beloved playthings. If I hadn't played with a $5 Best of the West General Custer, I wouldn't be spending $250 on a Hot Toys Iron Man.

Some collectors move entirely away from true toys, only buying high end items. Others, like myself, maintain some sort of balance between the two, picking up both $20 mass market figures and ridiculously priced specialty market sixth scale. And some remain true to their roots, buying toys for the love of play, rather than 'collecting'.

Tonight's review is of some of those true toys. Spinmaster has picked up the DC Batman license, and is producing a plethora of figures based on the property. They are coming in multiple scales too, including 4", 6", and 12", but it's the small 4" figures I'll be focused on tonight. I picked up a Batman ('Rebirth') and Man-Bat to check out, and these are just hitting local stores. Expect to pay around $8 each for the single figures in the smaller scale series.

Packaging - ***
This is not collector friendly packaging - you'll get to rip into it.  I do really like the way they packed the 'mystery' accessories however, using a sort of locker that you could actually save if you wanted.  There is a sheet included that tries to explain the idea of the mystery accessories, the common vs. rare ones, and which figure goes with which 'adventure', but they lost me.  Suffice to say, they are playing with a number of classic toy marketing concepts.

Sculpting - ***
When looking at an $8 action figure, it's important to remember - it's an $8 action figure. You can't expect the level of detail or quality you'd see even in something like a $20 Marvel Legend.

The sculpts here look good. Batman is clearly Batman, with some decent musculature and reasonable detail on his tiny face. Remember, not only are these cheap, they are small, coming in at around 4" tall.

Batman also has reasonable proportions, although the design does remind me a bit of the old 4" Mego Comic Superheroes. Man-bat has a nice, furry sculpt, with more texture of course. There's also quite a bit of detail in the face and ears, and his angry expression works great.

It's also worth noting that Batman's cape is cloth.  That was a smart idea considering the scale. There's also a post hole in his back and through the cape, clearly designed for some of the accessories that come with other various figures to attach. Man-Bat has this post hole as well in the center of his back. Hmmm.

Paint - Batman **1/2; Man-Bat ***
Again, $8 action figures. You aren't going to get an Eddie Wires award winner here.

But most of the simple paint work is decent, particularly on Man-Bat. The interior ear color looks good, and the tiny fangs are clean.  He doesn't have a ton of operations, but considering the scale and price, it's solid work.

Batman isn't quite as nice.  The yellow belt doesn't quite line up with the sculpt, and mine has a mark on his left cheek. Still, it's not bad taking everything else into consideration.

Articulation - ***
These figures are nicely articulated, although there's a couple joints that would have really made a difference.

Let's start with Batman. The neck is a pretty standard cut joint, and a good ball here with more tilt and lean would have made a world of difference. The rotating hinge shoulders and elbows work well, but there's no wrist joint. The elbow allows the whole lower arm to twist, which is not a terrible compromise in this scale.

The ball hips, cut thighs, and rotating hinge knees work great, but as with the wrists, there's no ankle joints. Unfortunately, in this scale ankles can often be problematic, due to breakage and weakness, but I still miss them for deeper stances.

Man-Bat is similar, at least above the waist. Below it, he only has his ball hips and cut thighs, no knees or ankles. He stands great on his own though, and there's no frustration with either figure getting them to remain in fighting poses.

The big missing joint for me is the cut waist. It's a joint that doesn't have issues due to the scale - like ankles and wrists - but does come in very handy. Still, if you approach these as toys that eight year old's will play with, you'll find the articulation is appropriate. It's certainly far better than the 5 points too many kids have had to suffer with.

Accessories - ***
One of the gimmicks with this series is the 'mystery' accessories. There are various extras you can get with each figure, some rarer than others, and they are hidden within the package.

With Batman, I received a large batarang, grappling gun, and double bladed weapon. These come in a variety of colors, and the colors have something to do with the supposed adventures. While the accessories are chunky, they are fun, and fit neatly in his hands.

Man-Bat has a pair of deadly claws that clip on over his hands, and another funky gun. Obviously, this gun is for Batman, not him. He also has his detachable wings, but these aren't really part of the 'mystery' extras. They can be attached to his forearms via pegs and holes.

Fun Factor - ****
These might not be high end collectibles, but they are actually pretty damn good toys. There's more articulation than most lines these days, and they are very solid and well built. Kids will like the gimmicks, and the play value should be there for them longer term as well, thanks to various vehicles and deluxe sets.

Value - ***
Not many decent action figures are $8 these days, not even in a 4" scale. Collectors might scoff, but parents will appreciate a line of superheroes that doesn't break their wallet.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. These are sturdy, well made toys first and foremost, and can handle normal play without breaking a sweat. Or a joint.

Overall - ***
These are a decent, fun, new line of toys for kids that fans of Batman - and of actual toys - may enjoy as well. Whether I get into the series or not is going to depend pretty heavily on the villains, and mostly what I've seen so far on the pegs is Batman and his variations, but if they can do a good assortment of his Rogue's Gallery, I may go all in.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***
Fun Factor - ****
Value - ***
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
These are showing up at stores like Target right now. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has a whole lot of these showing up, all for similar prices to regular retail.

Related Links -
So far this week alone, I've covered the sixth scale Batman Ninja, as well as the 7" scale Mcfarlane Batman and Harley. I've covered many, many Batman items over the years, so you should also hit the Search Reviews page.

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